Gentle Fighter
by Lazerus the wanderer
Summary: Coyote fights in the World Martial arts tourney for the first time. He meets some strange people.


Coyote stepped through the doors into the preliminaries of the world championship fighting competition. He was nervous beyond thought. He gladly moved against the wall. He was glad he was not the youngest fighter there though. A girl his age was fighting as well. She had been in the finals last time and if he had to fight her, he might be in trouble. He hoped he did though. He had seen her earlier that day and she looked attractive. I should be thinking of the fighting not girls, he thought as he shook his head. He ran his hand through his short hair, and moved off as the fights began.  
  
"Welcome to the finals," the announcer shouted to the audience, "We have some old faces as well as a few new ones. The usual faces you have seen before are Goku, possible one of the greatest fighters in the world, Vegita, a ferocious fighter who has been seen here before, Goten, Trunks, Majin Buu, and lastly Pan, the surprise fighter that was only four years old last time we held the championship. Some of the new faces are Insukee, a fighter from the frozen north who cares for nothing but giving pain to others. Coyote is a young boy the same age as young Pan. He is from across the ocean. He only wishes to fight as best he can against the best of the best. Well, you can be sure he will, today folks." Coyote tuned out the rest. He looked at the others around him. From round and pink Majin Buu to Pan who he looked over with a red face. He shook his head and looked on the other side of him. Goku was looking at him oddly and he smiled at him. He turned redder. He had forgotten that he was Pan's grandfather. He turned away and sat down on the edge of the platform to look at the crowd. They all held posters and banners proclaiming their fighters they were supporting. None had his name he noticed. He shrugged. That is not why you are you, he thought. He felt someone tap him on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Goku.  
  
"Hey little buddy, they need you to pick out your number of who you were fighting." Coyote turned red again. The other fighters were laughing openly. Here I am fixing to fight for my life and I go and think of how popular I am to the crowd, he thought. Goku walked back over to stand next to Buu. Coyote stepped up and took a green ball out of the box. He felt a flash of energy and he pulled his hand out. He turned around and looked directly at Buu. Did he just put me in a fight with someone, he thought. The announcer pulled the ball out of his hand.  
  
"Young Coyote will be fighting the fierce north man Insukee." Coyote looked around and shook his head. He sat back down on the edge of the platform. He looked up again. He would fight first he realized. Great, he thought, I may not even get to fight a real fighter. He closed his eyes to wait for his match.  
  
He stood on the left side of the ring looking around at the sky. Insukee shouted his name.  
  
"Hey are you going to attack yet," he yelled again. He was getting angry at his delay in attack.  
  
"I was going to give you the honor of the first attack," he bowed to his opponent. Insukee's face went red.  
  
"I am going to kill you moron," Insukee yelled.  
  
"If you must," Coyote said bowing again. Insukee started running at him and he raised his fist and when he was inches from Coyote's face Coyote sidestepped and flicked Insukee in the nose. Insukee yelled in a rage and turned to hit Coyote but he was already on the other side of the ring. He heard a group gasp from the crowd and some of the fighters. "You must control your emotions. A fighter whose rage runs loose often makes more than enough mistakes to be killed with." Insukee yelled again and took off running again. This time Coyote simply jumped over him and kicked him in his bottom. The kick sent Insukee flying to the ground. Coyote walked to the other side shaking his head. "You see. A mistake to rush an enemy with out thought." He bowed again. This time Insukee stood up and smiled.  
  
"I think I can use an attack that I stole from an old man." He hunched over and began to mutter in some odd language. Coyote tilted his head to the side. What is this man doing, he wondered. He placed his hands behind his back and looked up at the clouds to wait.  
  
"Get ready kid," someone yelled as he felt a surge of energy. He looked across from him and the man put his red glowing hands to the ground.  
  
"Blazing Inferno," Insukee bellowed breathlessly. He must have put every ounce into this attack, Coyote thought. He looked down as the platform began to glow reddish. He looked ahead as flames burst from the arena. There was a sharp intake of air and then he was engulfed in flames.  
  
"Coyote is no where to be seen," the announcer shouted into his microphone. Coyote looked down and he saw that everyone was looking at the hole in the ground where he had been. He hovered lower and looked into the hole. The announcer started to stutter.  
  
"What is everyone looking at," he asked. There was a roar of laughter. He looked at his opponent and flew closer to him. "I have some words for you." Insukee slumped to the floor. "You are an animal with out a mind. You said yourself that you enjoy giving out pain. Remember the next time you fight someone that they may not be as forgiving for your violent ways." He chopped Insukee across the back of the neck and the man slumped to the ground. He placed his feet on the ground and looked to the announcer who began to count to ten. At ten, Coyote was announced the winner of the fight. Oddly there was a silence that could have been cut with a knife. He helped the aids put Insukee on the litter. He stepped off the arena and walked to the waiting area. No sound was heard until the next fight began. He sat down and was thinking when a shadow fell over him. He looked up into the smiling face of Goku.  
  
"That was a good fight. You are pretty strong for someone your age, and human to boot." He looked around. Trunks and Goten were standing against the wall watching the fight. "I hope you can challenge my Pan. She is pretty strong too." Coyote nodded.  
  
"I hope maybe I can fight you or at least Master Vegita. All I want is to be as strong as possible," Coyote said honestly. Goku nodded.  
  
"That is a good goal." They both nodded and Coyote leaned back and closed his eyes to wait for his next fight.  
  
He felt someone shake him awake. He looked up and saw the announcer shaking him.  
  
"Hey little dude. It's your turn to fight," he said urgently. Coyote jumped up and ran outside toward the platform. Somehow it had been fixed. As he tried to jump onto the arena, his foot hit the edge and he fell on his face. He got up red faced but ready to fight. He looked across and saw Pan looking at him. His face, if it was possible, went even redder. She looked away. He stood up straight and stretched until his back and neck popped. He smiled to Pan as his face slowly went back to normal. She smiled back and he bowed to her. She did the same. The announcer called begin, and Coyote went into a fighting stance. She did the same and he raced towards her. He swung his fist and she blocked. This first strike began a fast succession of attacks. From punches, kicks, elbows, and all manner of hand to hand attacks. Finally, they stopped to catch their breaths.  
  
"It has been a great honor to fight some one of your skill Miss Pan," Coyote said while trying to catch his breath.  
  
"The same to you Mr. Coyote."  
  
"No Mr. There. Makes me feel like an old man." He smiled and launched himself into the air where she followed. He flew down to her and kicked as many times as he could. She blocked all. Then she attacked. He blocked almost all of them. The last hit him squarely in the shoulder. He slammed down into the platform. He hopped out as she landed. He smiled. "This is much fun. I am fighting on a level that I never thought existed." She nodded and smiled.  
  
"Hey Pan!," a voice shouted. "Try your Kamahamaha wave on him!" Pan looked for the voice. Goku nodded to show that he meant what he said.  
  
"Are you sure," she asked not sure what to do. Goku nodded. She looked at Coyote and he tilted his head to the side. She placed her hands at her side and began to speak. "Kaaaaa...maaaaaaaa...haaaaaaaa...maaaaaaaaaaa.haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" As she spoke, in her hands formed a ball of energy. He watched with great fascination. As she uttered the last syllables, her hands surged to the front of her and a beam of intense energy hit him like a wall of stone. The beam itself left a white echo of its power in the air. As the light faded, Coyote looked down at his cloths. His shirt was completely gone. His pants were now shorts. He shook his head.  
  
"I guess they don't tailor like they used to," he said smiling. "That was most impressive. Could I try it?" She looked at him like he had gone insane.  
  
"It took me four years to get the wave to that power level," Pan said. He nodded.  
  
"I would still like to try unless you wish me not to," he said bowing. She nodded slowly. He placed his hands at his side and slowly began to copy what she did. "KAAAAAAAAAAAAA...MAAAAAAAA...HAAAAAAAAAAA...MAAAAAAAAAAAA...HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA!" He released the energy blast. The only difference between his attack and hers was that he seemed to have yelled louder that she did. He had aimed it to simply pass in front of her. It hit her and he launched of the platform to get her before she got hurt. He caught her in midair. She appeared to be unconscious. He gently lifted her and flew back to the ground. As he drew closer, he heard the announcer shouting.  
  
"Where did they both go," he asked the crowd. Coyote looked around and saw that Goku and the others were watching his progress in the sky while the crowd looked around on the ground. He flew down until he touched down on the ground. He gently placed her on the ground. He checked her for breathing. She breathed and he sighed in relief.  
  
Ten..," the announcer shouted. He looked up as the announcer walked up to him and tried to lift up his arm. He lifted Pan up into his arms and carried her off the platform. He walked past Goku who fell in beside him.  
  
"You are stronger than I thought. Perhaps I should have had Buu put you fighting me," he said.  
  
"She will be ok, right," Coyote asked. Goku smiled and nodded. A woman ran up and touched Pan's arm. She looked at Coyote and then back to Pan. Suddenly it hit him. This is her mother, he thought. A man with glasses reached out and took her from him. And this is her father. They must hate me, he thought. He turned and began to walk down the hall.  
  
"Young man," a woman's voice said behind him. He looked over his shoulder. "I will be rooting for you tomorrow." He smiled and nodded.  
  
Coyote looked at the odd invitation he had received. It said to go to room 435 and he shook his head. Who would want him to go to their room? It was a Dining Hall he found out at the front desk. He found him some new cloths. It was a dark blue shorts and orange pull over shirt. He knocked on the door and a green man answered. He wore a white cape and white pants. He motioned him inside. Coyote almost turned to leave, but went inside. As he stepped inside, Goku walked up to him.  
  
"We figured that since you were alone today that you might want to have some company to celebrate your victories" Goku said. He introduced all the people there. A couple of them were fighting in the tournament even met the champ himself Hercule. As he passed around the room shaking hands with various people, he noticed Pan sitting in a big squashy chair. She was awake at least. He walked over to her.  
  
"You are not harmed," he asked slowly. She smiled.  
  
"No, I am not. It is partly because of you that I am not," she said. His face must have looked confused. "You caught me in midair before I could really get hurt." She stood slowly and the woman from before walked over.  
  
"Now, Pan you should not be standing," the woman said. He had been told that her name was Videl. She was the Champ's daughter and she had been in the championship herself. "And you young man," she said turning on Coyote. Coyote started backing away. She smiled. "You are a marvelous fighter." He turned red and shifted his feet.  
  
"I am what I am. No more," he said looking at his feet.  
  
"And modest too." She smiled and moved off. He gently took Pan's arm and started to help her back into the chair.  
  
"Your honored mother is right, though," he said softly. "You should not be up." She made a face at him but let him help her back into the chair.  
  
"Honored mother," she asked. "You had better not let her hear you say that. You may have to become adopted into the family." She smiled again. He pulled over a chair and sat down next to her.  
  
"Would you like something to eat," he asked her. She nodded. "What would you like?"  
  
"Everything you can lay your hands on," she said. He looked at her but did as she asked. Several of the people at the buffet table looked at him as he picked up plate after plate of food.  
  
"You eat like an elephant," a voice said behind him. He turned around and came face to face with Vegita. He stood up straight.  
  
"It is not for me Master Vegita. It is for Miss Pan," he said. Vegita smiled as if he knew something. He narrowed his eyes and picked up a tray and put all the plates off food on it. He carried the tray to where Pan was sitting. She looked at him in wonder.  
  
"How did you get all this food," she asked.  
  
"You did ask for as much food as I could lay my hands on," he said. "I almost had to wrestle Master Goku to get more of the rice cakes." He smiled. She took a plate and began to eat. He sat back and closed his eyes.  
  
He opened his eyes slowly and looked around. It took him a moment to remember where he was. He stood and stretched. He noticed Miss Pan curled in a ball in the chair next to him. He moved to the door and opened it. He looked up and down the hall before he moved towards the stairs.  
  
Up on the roof, he sat cross legged with his eyes closed. He breathed deeply enjoying the peaceful breeze. He heard the door open and some one step outside.  
  
"Good morning Master Goku," Coyote said.  
  
"How did you know it was me," Goku asked. Coyote smiled slightly.  
  
"I heard you open the door," Coyote said, "And I can smell the donuts on your breath. I do not believe Master Vegita would eat them any way." Goku laughed.  
  
"I guess your right. Watcha doing up here anyway," he asked. Coyote stood.  
  
"Getting ready for my fight with Master Vegita," he said simply. "I can not match him for strength so I must use his weaknesses against him." Goku looked confused.  
  
"And what weakness is that," he asked simply.  
  
"His impatience," Coyote said smiling. "I am hungry. I think I should eat before the match." He turned and bowed to Goku. "Till later today." He moved to the stairs thinking on how to beat Vegita.  
  
Coyote stood looking Vegita in the eyes like an equal. He had an idea of how to fight this man but it could go wrong. He moved his hands to his side.  
  
"Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...maaaaaaaaaaa aaa...haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa." He shot the wave at Vegita and he closed his eyes. He heard Vegita rush at him as he dodged the wave. As Vegita moved behind him, he spun and slammed his foot into Vegita's midsection knocking the wind out of him. He opened his eyes to see the shock apparent on Vegita's face, as he bounced off the ground and rolled to the edge of the platform. Coyote backed up a few feet.  
  
"How did you hit me," Vegita asked in disbelief.  
  
"You move much to fast for me to see, but you make far too much noise when you fly or run." Coyote smiled slightly. Vegita went into a fighting stance and advanced running. Coyote closed his eyes and went into the correct counter attack. He blocked the punches and then the kicks. As an elbow to the head flew towards his head, Coyote grabbed Vegita's arm and tossed him over his shoulder with all his strength. He jumped into the air and flung out his hand.  
  
"DODON BEAM!" Coyote aimed it directly at Vegita as the fighter rose from the slight stone fragments. It hit him and drove him further into the ground. As Coyote landed, Vegita erupted out of the ground slamming his fist into Coyote's chin. Coyote flew back and hit the ground. Hard. Coyote stood slowly and pulled off his already ragged shirt. He smiled and motioned Vegita to advance.  
  
"We aren't getting any younger," he yelled closing his eyes. He heard Vegita launch himself into the air. He could feel the energy pulsing off of his opponent. This is my last fight in this tournament, Coyote thought. He heard Vegita start the Kamahamaha wave attack. Coyote moved his arms into position to block, but not so far from being able to block any other type of attacks. He felt the wave hit him and he blocked it waiting for it to stop. He felt his feet slam into the concrete and slide back. He realized that he was just going to be pushed off the arena. He moved his arm to one side while still blocking. Slowly he pointed his hand at where Vegita's voice was coming from.  
  
"DODON BEAM," he shouted and he felt his feet slide to the edge of the platform. The beam must have hit because the wave stopped. He looked up and saw Vegita falling to the ground. The announcer was shouting out what he had seen. As Coyote stepped off the edge, he tripped over his shirt and fell back onto the green grass. Laughter burst out from all over the stadium. Coyote sat up and started laughing himself. I knew it, he thought. He hopped back onto the platform and walked over to Vegita. He was lying on the ground looking very sick.  
  
"Hey, looks like you go on to the next round," Coyote said to Vegita. Vegita looked confused. "You pushed me off right after I hit you with the beam." He held out his hand and helped a confused Vegita to a standing position. "It has been an honor fighting you," Coyote said bowing his head.  
  
Coyote stood at the back of the viewer's box watching the fight but watching the people within the box more. Piccolo stood not far away watching intently. Miss Pan, her mother, Bulma and Chi Chi sat talking rather than watching. He slowly walked up behind them.  
  
"Why is it that none of you entered," he asked. They looked up at him. "I mean Miss Bulma and Miss Chi Chi."  
  
"I don't know. I don't think I could survive a fight with any of these fighters out there," Chi Chi said. Bulma shook her head.  
  
"I would not enter any way. It is quite barbaric," she said.  
  
"If you had proper training, I believe you both would do quite well," he said quietly. "You must be strong of mind and heart to fight in any form. And I sense that you seem to have both in balance." They both smiled and he scratched his head.  
  
"Why does your mother let you enter," Chi Chi asked. "Did you leave her out there..," she started. His face must have changed.  
  
"I have never known my mother," he said quietly. He moved away and sat down looking up to the sky.  
  
"What do you all plan to do after this tournament," Bulma said. Coyote sat cross legged against the wall slowly drinking tea.  
  
"Well," Miss Pan said timidly. "I hope to travel to train more." Videl shook her head swiftly.  
  
"No. No. No. I am not going to let my daughter wander about the world alone," Videl said ferociously.  
  
"But Dad did it and so did Grandpa," Pan argued. "Besides I was going to ask someone to come with me." Videl looked at Gohan as if this was his fault. Gohan seemed engrossed in his shoe strings. Bulma's face looked similar to Videl's.  
  
"And who were you going to ask," Bulma asked.  
  
"Well, Coyote," Pan said. Coyote began to choke on his tea. "Mainly because he knows things I could never learn from Dad or Grandpa." Coyote set his tea down on the floor and stared at Pan. What did he know that she did not, he wondered.  
  
"Like the Dodon Beam," she said. Goku nodded.  
  
"That is a good reason," he said. "I would like to know is where he learned it myself." Coyote frowned.  
  
"About a year ago, I was found by a blind man. He asked me to teach him how to fight without seeing." Coyote gestured to his ears. "It is not hard, but it takes practice. Any way, as soon as he could fight to some skill, he taught me the energy attack as well as to fly. I changed the attack to a non lethal one. The original was far too destructive." He took a sip of tea. "I did not learn his name, but he knew mine which is odd because I have never been a well known fighter."  
  
"I still don't know whether I can let Pan go off with a strange boy we barely know," Videl said. Coyote wondered if he should be offended.  
  
"I think it will be ok," Gohan said without looking up from his shoelaces. Videl shook her head again, but slower.  
  
"If I may interrupt," Coyote said slowly. He stared Videl down as her flashing eyes landed on him. "If I have judged Miss Pan correctly, she will do as she pleases and sees fit. She can either go with your blessing and company or by her own accord alone. I think either way she will not stay home any longer." Coyote took a drink of tea waiting for her answer. Videl looked at him then to Pan. She slowly nodded.  
  
"All right, you can go," she said. "When do you plan to leave Coyote?"  
  
"Well, um, I was leaving tomorrow morning. I have no reason to stay," Coyote said slowly. Pan stood and kissed her mother on the cheek.  
  
"I have to pack if we are leaving tomorrow," she said hurriedly. She moved in a rush to the door and was gone in a flash before Coyote could think. Coyote stood and moved to the door himself. As he turned to say goodbye, Videl stepped in front of him. Bulma and Chi Chi flanked her on both sides.  
  
"You are to take care of her," Bulma said. They did not look mad, more like determined. He looked to the others in the room. All of them seemed more interested in some nonexistent bird out the window. "You are not to let her get hurt." He nodded slowly.  
  
"I want you to come to our house in a year. There we can decide whether you can continue to train her," Videl said. He stepped back suddenly very nervous. "If you are even one day late, we will come hunting for you. And it will not be our husbands you have to worry about." He moved back and his back hit the door.  
  
"If she tells us that you have done anything to her, there is no place on earth you can hide from us," Chi Chi said. Her face did not seem hard as the others. He nodded again. His hand found the door handle and he turned it. As soon as he had the door open, he pushed past them and ran into the hall. He did not stop running until he had taken the stairs and was outside.  
  
Coyote stood on the roof waiting for Miss Pan. He shifted his feet impatiently.  
  
"Coyote," a voice said behind him. He turned and saw Miss Chi Chi looking up at him. He smiled and nodded.  
  
"I want you to know that you are welcome to our home whenever you want to come," she said. "But if she is late in getting home or hurt, you had best run as far and as hard as you can." Her stern voice was only ruined when he bent down and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"I hope my mother was as kind to a poor wandering stranger," he whispered into her ear. She looked up at him as if she had not seen him before. He smiled and walked to the edge of the roof. He stepped off and fell down the side of the building before catching himself and flying back up to the roof to hover slightly off to the side. Miss Pan had finally shown up. She carried very little and he shook his head. He took inventory of his own gear. A pan for cooking in, a chain with a dark blue sash attached, a worn staff, and many other things that he had gathered over the years. She took off from the roof and floated up next to him. He looked back at the people gathered and then turned toward the west.  
  
"Remember, one year, or we come looking for you," a voice said behind him as he speed off into the sky. 


End file.
